Introduction

Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland as well as northwestern parts of Russia.

The Verb

The verbs have four moods: Indicative (declarative function), imperative (Mana! 'go!', mannot 'let's go'), potential (manaz*an 'I may go') and conditional (manas*in 'I would go; (if) I went'). The actor is expressed by personal endings, including separate endings for three persons (1st, 2nd and 3rd) in three numbers (singular, dual and plural).

Sample verb: bargat to work

Indicative

Present

Preterite

Sg.1

barggan

bargen

Sg.2

barggat

barget

Sg.3

bargá

barggai

Du.1

barge

barggaime

Du.2

bargabeahtti

barggaide

Du.3

bargaba

barggaiga

Pl.1

bargat

barggaimet

Pl.2

bargabehtet

barggaidet

Pl.3

barget

barge

The verbs are inflected also in a simple past (preterite) tense (mun mannen 'I went' don mannet 'you (1) went' etc.) as well as perfect (xxxx) and pluperfect (xxxx).